Clothes-drying apparatus



(No Model.)

A. JOSEPHS 8v L.'PELDMAN.

l CLOTHES DRYING APPARATUS.

Patented Jan. 19, 1897.l

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UNITED STATESN PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLF JOSEPHS AND LOUIS FELDMAN, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTH ES-DRYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 575,480, dated January 19, 1897'.

Application filed July 2 2, 1896. Serial No. 600,098. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern: f

Be it known that we, ADoLr JosEPHs and LOUIS FELDMAN, citizens of the United States,

Y residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Drying Apparatus; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference bein ghad to the accompanying drawings, and tothe figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to that class of devices which are used for hanging up or exposing articles of clothing for the purpose of drying or bleaching and the like; and its object is to provide a means for securely holding the clothing in stretched positions and at the same time economize space by hanging the articles so stretched out side by side and yet suspended from a single line, which may be drawn between two points of support, and to provide means for readily drawing all the articles so hung up to one end of the line or distribute them over the line without the necessity of the operator moving from one point of operation, and other objects, as set forth in the following speciication and embodied in the claims. We attain these objects by means of the construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts, as herein set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows our device in use where the main line is suspended between an outside post and a portico of a dwelling-house. Fig. 2 shows a modification of our device when put up in bracket form adapted to be used outside or inside of a house. Fig. 3 is an end view of the bracket shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detailed view of one of our stretchers or hangers showing its operation by means of dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a view of one of our stretchers taken at right angles to that of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detailed view of one of the clamps used on the stretchers shown in Figs. 4 and 5, when the said clamp is made of metal. Fig. 7 is a top View of the clamp shown in Fig. 6, showing the spring which operates the same in dotted lines. Fig. 8 is a cross-section on the line :1: of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 shows a modified form of the clamp used on the stretchers or the form used when the said clamp is constructed principally of wood. Fig. 10 is a top view of the clamp shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a cross-section of the lower half of the clamp shown in Fig. 9, taken on the line y y.

In the drawings, 1 designates the line or wire which is attached to a buildingbya hook 2 at one end and to a post or other support 3, at the other end. On this line an indefinite number of stretchers 6 6, &c., are strung and are attached to a cord 4, which is drawn parallel to the line and has attached to it the aforesaid stretchers at regular intervals by means of the eye 8, which is formed by twisting aloop in the wire from which the stretcher is constructed. The said cord passes over the pulleys 5 5 and is returned over the said line lato the vicinity of its hook 2, where both ends of the cord 4 may be attached to the cleat 2.

For the purpose of giving a springing action to the stretchers 6 they are constructed with a coil 9, through and by means of which they are also strung on the line 1. On each end of the stretcher is disposed a clamp 7, which is securely soldered to the stretcherwire, as shown bythe cross-section in Fig. 8. When the clamp is constructed of wood, the

wire of the stretcher G is passed through the hole 2O and lies in the groove 2l and is secured by twisting the wire, as at 25 in Fig. l0.

The clamp is constructed of two members 13 and 14, which are hinged together at 1S. When the clamp is constructed of zinc or other metal, a spring 15, which is coiled around the pin 18 of the hinge and having its ends pressing outward against the inner ends of the members 13 and 14, serves to close the clamp. The clasping ends of the clamp are constructed with a projection 16, attached to the member 13, adapted to project through and nearly ll the slot 17, which is cut through the clasping end of member 14. When metal is used to construct the clamp, we prefer to use zinc, as iron or brass are liable to discolor clothing, but we also use a clamp 7', constructed of wood principally, as shown in. Fig.

IOO

9. The pin 18 of the hinge in that form passing through the holes 19 19 of the lugs, as shown in the crossesection, Fig. 1 1, and the coil-spring 22 is substituted for the spring 15 in the metallic form of clamp.

Our device maybe used in the brackettorm, as shown in Fig. 2, pulleys 5 5 in that case being disposed on the end of an arm 11, joined to an upright 23 and braced by arod 12. The operation of our device is now readily eX- plained.

The clamps may be all collected, as indicated in Fig. 2, to one end of the line 1, and articles of clothing may be attached singly to each clamp, as 26 2G, Fig. 1, or each of the clamps on the stretcher may be attached to opposite ends of a piece of clothing, as 27,

and the stretcher thus serves to stretch out the clothing and expose it to be dried.

It is evident that pieces of clothing` may be stretched at short distances apart parallel to `each other and at right angles to the line l and by means of the cord 4, which the operator may pull in the direction required. The operator may run the stretchers with their articles of clothing out over the line 1, or pull them back to the position in which they were when the clothes were attached to the stretchers, and he can thus bring the stretchers all to a convenient point for attaching the articles of clothing, and after they are attached, by pulling on the upper part of the line 4, run them out over the entire length of the line 1. Vhen the stretchers are not in use, their ends may be held parallel and in convenient position for attaching clothing by means of the keeper or hook 10, Which may be unhooked or slid upward of the members of the stretchers When articles of clothing are attached.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a clothes-drying apparatus,of the kind described, the combination of a taut line having a series of Wire-stretchers, suspended therefrom, the said stretchers constructed each, from a length of Wire coiled at its middle portion, so as to form a loop, to which a cord may be attached, in addition to a coiled portion which serves as a spring, tending to hold the two ends of the Wire at a distance apart, and said coiled spring, also adapted to serve as an eye, by means of Which, the said stretchers may be strung upon the taut line, a cord running parallel With the taut line and having the said stretchers attached to it at regularintervals, the ends or legs of the said stretchers also being each provided with a spring-clamp adapted to be opened and closed With the thumb and iinger, and to be used for clasping and holding articles of clothing, all arranged for joint operation, substantially as specied.

2. In a clothes-drying apparatus,a stretcher constructed from a single piece of Wire, bent at its middle portion -into a coiled spring, adapted to spread its two ends to a distance apart, each of the said ends being provided with a spring-clamp adapted to hold garn ments, and the said stretcher adapted to be strung on a tautline, through the eye formed by the coiled spring, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

ADOLF JOSEPHS. -LOUIS FELDMAN. lVitnesses:

S. G. RAIsLEY, EDWARD R. JENKINS. 

